After failing to complete the home sweep of the collapsing Minnesota Twins, the panicked discourse swirling around the New York Yankees continues to amplify.
The club is quickly falling out of contention in the AL East and is holding on to a one-game lead for the league's final Wild Card spot.
Since the start of June, the Yankees are 29-35, showing for well over two months they are a below-average team.
From unease about Aaron Judge's long-term health to an increasingly shaky bullpen, even an easy schedule won't ease the concerns that New York could be on the outside looking in this October.
During a recent appearance on "Foul Territory," legendary baseball writer Tim Kurkjian suggested the lack of quality throughout the AL could propel the Yankees into the playoffs, where they're more than capable of making some noise.
"Everyone is dangerous in the postseason because there are no great teams out there," Kurkjian said. "I think they'll barely make the playoffs. Would I make them the favorite when they get there? Absolutely not. With no dominant team, the Yankees could be dangerous if Aaron Judge is at his best and Giancarlo Stanton swings the bat like he always seems to in October."
Kurkjian went on to say that New York has just as much of a chance of missing the dance entirely, but even suggesting they could make a run at defending the pennant is immense optimism given the state of the organization.
If Judge is in the lineup, it feels unfathomable that the Yankees don't string together a few solid weeks, but this team lacks the talent to be competitive when it matters most.